kal raat yuun huaa ki pahar-do-pahar gae — Bimal Krishn Ashk

"aise mein roz roz koi DhunDtaa mujhe aavaaz de rahi thi udhar ki havaa mujhe aisaa huaa ki ghar se na niklaa tamaam din jaise ki khud se aaj koi kaam thaa mujhe parde ke aas-paas koi baagh hi na ho khiDki khuli to phuul kaa dhokaa huaa mujhe ye peD jis pe phuul na patti na Tahniyaan das biis saal baad jo khud saa lagaa mujhe main aaj bhi vahi huun vafaa thi jise aziiz fursat mile to aa ke kabhi dekh jaa mujhe aankhon mein dil utar paDaa aaina dekh kar aayaa thaa ik khayaal bahut duur kaa mujhe ye fikr aa paDi hai ki badle gae na hon saae se kah rahaa huun zaraa dekhnaa mujhe kahte hain yaar-dost agar bevafaa kahein ai 'ashk' aansuon ne bhi kyaa de diyaa mujhe"

"agar tujh se huun to phir aur kyaa huun main kis jaisaa huun kis kis se judaa huun mujhe maalum hai kitnaa buraa huun ye kyaa kam hai ki apnaa aaina huun koi divaar si TuuTi hai shaayad main andar hi kahin girne lagaa huun kabhi to saamne aaungaa apne ki apni raah mein kab se khaDaa huun mujhe ehsaas ne gheraa huaa hai main apne-aap apnaa daaera huun ye meraa haath kis ke haath mein hai ye kis ke paanv hain jin par khaDaa huun mire alfaaz patthar ho gae hain main apne haath se zakhmi huaa huun khud apne-aap ko aavaaz de kar na jaane 'ashk' kis ko DhunDhtaa huun"

"kaise kahein ki chaar taraf daaera na thaa jaate kahaan ki khud se pare raastaa na thaa jab saans le rahi thi darakhton ke aas-paas aavaaz de rahi thi koi boltaa na thaa khud se chale to rah-guzar aaina ho gai apne sivaae aur koi sujhtaa na thaa ab ke basant aai to aankhein ujaD gaiin sarson ke khet mein koi patta haraa na thaa parda hilaa ke baad-e-sahar duur tak gai khushbu kidhar se aai kisi ko pataa na thaa guzri tamaam umr usi shahr mein jahaan vaaqif sabhi the go koi pahchaantaa na thaa ai 'ashk' ik kitaab paDhi thi varaq varaq vo tirgi thi lafz koi sujhtaa na thaa"

"charaagh jalne lagein aur dil machalne lage udhar ho raat udhar koi ji ko malne lage udaas os ki bundon se bujhne-jalne lage tum aa raho to sitaaron ki lau sambhalne lage ye devdaar ki Tahni pe tham gayaa saa chaand havaa chale to abhi karvaTein badalne lage tamaam-raat dhuaan saa uchhaalti rahi raat ruki to ThiThure hue haath-paaon jalne lage ab in hari-bhari saDkon kaa jaane kyaa hogaa thi jin se raah vahi raasta badalne lage jo baadalon mein tiri maang si lakiron par nazar gai to dilon mein charaagh jalne lage ruko to dard saa Thahraa sujhaai de dil mein chalo to 'ashk' kasak saath saath chalne lage"

"guzri raaton ke tasalsul se koi kyaa nikle ham jise teri tarah chaahein tujhi saa nikle jaise vo jaan nazar aankh jhapaktaa nikle raat ki kokh se aisaa koi taaraa nikle us pe kyaa jaaniye kyaa kyaa na guzarti hogi tum to ye soch rahe ho vo idhar aa nikle chup raho ik do-ghaDi ke liye rone vaalo ain mumkin hai koi hanstaa huaa aa nikle raah mein phuul khileinge to chubhan bhi hogi ghar mein baiThun to miri aankh kaa kaanTaa nikle raat jalti hai sulagte hue sahraa ki tarah dard agar ho to kisi aankh se dariyaa nikle"

"man mein jot jagaane vaale tyaag gae ye Deraa jogi uttar dakhkhin purab pachchhim chaaron or andheraa jogi dvaare dvaare alakh jagaane ko to saari 'umr paDi hai sej saji do chaar ghaDi ko kar le rain baseraa jogi is ghar mein ik koraa aanchal rote rote bhiig chalaa hai bhule hi se sahi kabhi to maar idhar bhi pheraa jogi apne man mein chor chhupaa ho to phir dosh kisi kaa kyaa hai vo hi raah-rau vo hi rahzan apnaa aap luTeraa jogi pal-do-pal ruk pahan gerue kapDe ham bhi saath chaleinge maar chali ras-bhari javaani jogi vaalaa pheraa jogi paanv paanv muDti pagDanDi aankh jhapakte Das leti hai jivan ki naagin kis ke bas is kaa kaun saperaa jogi tu jo kahe to un zulfon ki narm chhaaon hamraah le chalein jangal mein kaale baadal kaa saaya bahut ghaneraa jogi ye bhabhut kis ki palkon kis ke baalon ki parchhaain hai tere saaf saped jism par kis ne rang bikheraa jogi kaan mein kunDal kaDaa haath mein lambe baal ghunghrun vaale tere tan ke chaar chaphere kis jogan kaa gheraa jogi jis ne mujh ko ghar bakhshaa hai aur aavaara-gardi tujh ko us ki raahguzar kis ghar se kis raste par Deraa jogi har rukh par parchhaain kisi ki har chehre par 'aks kisi kaa chalte phirte baazaaron mein kyaa teraa kyaa meraa jogi is basti mein 'ashk' kisi ik laDke ko kunDal pahnaa kar ik laDki ne ye kah kar barbaad kiyaa tu meraa jogi"

"vo mujhe zindagi bataataa hai phir bhalaa kyon nazar churaataa hai main usi ko uThaa rahaa thaa par vo mujhe hi faqat giraataa hai yaad us ko kiyaa yahaan main ne par mujhe vo vahaan bhulaataa hai raaz saare bataa diye main ne kyon magar raaz vo chhupaataa hai log masruf hain mohabbat mein aur vo dil miraa dukhaataa hai"

"dil shaad nahin karte aabaad nahin karte mahsus ye hotaa hai vo yaad nahin karte naashaad zamaane ke dil shaad nahin karte kam-aql parindon ko aazaad nahin karte mohtaaj-e-karam aksar rahte hain gharibon ke jo log gharibon ki imdaad nahin karte kuchh log shikaayat ko haq apnaa samajhte hain kuchh log kabhi tum se fariyaad nahin karte ham apne iraadon mein rakhte hain tavaanaai ham daad ke taalib ko bedaad nahin karte jo aap ki niyyat kaa kuchh ilm hamein hotaa ham apni mohabbat ko barbaad nahin karte is daur-e-siyaasat mein 'mahmud' qayaamat hai ahbaab jo karte hain jallaad nahin karte"

"Tuut kar ab sanvar gayaa huun main is tarah se bikhar gayaa huun main jo tire naam ki gali hai vo us gali se guzar gayaa huun main yaadein teri sameT laayaa huun aaj jab se udhar gayaa huun main khud mukarnaa sikhaa diyaa us ne phir kahaa ki mukar gayaa huun main kal talak jo na kar sakaa thaa main aaj vo kaam kar gayaa huun main yuun kahin main nahin Thahartaa par tere dar par Thahar gayaa huun main"

"bistar-e-karb pe jab niind jalaai main ne tab kisi khvaab ki buniyaad uThaai main ne zakhm aise the ki har shakhs ke aage rakkhe baat aisi thi ki khud se bhi chhupaai main ne hurmat-e-gham ke liye khud ko aziyyat bakhshi phir usi dard se taskin bhi paai main ne main ne zakhmon ko kuredaa unhein taaza rakkhaa tab kahin dasht mein ki naghma-saraai main ne apni khiDki se yunhi khud ko pukaaraa kal shab aur phir khud ko vo aavaaz sunaai main ne jaane vaale se rag-e-jaan kaa bhi rishta thaa 'samir' ye samajhne mein bahut der lagaai main ne"

"zindagi dushvaar hogi ye kabhi sochaa na thaa vo bagule gham ke uTThe jin kaa andesha na thaa saamne tum aa gae ho to bataa duun jaan-e-jaan jaise dil dhaDkaa thaa ab ki vaise dil dhaDkaa na thaa ye iraada kar liyaa thaa ham na bichhDeinge kabhi TuTeinge ik pal mein rishte ye kabhi sochaa na thaa yaad-e-maazi miT rahi hai vaqt ki raftaar se ab tasavvur mein hamaare koi bhi chehra na thaa sakht hairat ho rahi hai dekh kar apnaa vajud dhuup mein the sab ke saaye par miraa saayaa na thaa shauq-e-manzil dekh meri dekh meraa hausla shahr-e-dil ke raaston mein main kabhi Thahraa na thaa 'qalb' ko sahraa-navardi raas kyaa aati bhalaa vo kabhi aavaargi mein dar-ba-dar bhaTkaa na thaa"

"jahaan-e-dard-o-gham hai aur main huun tiraa naqsh-e-qadam hai aur main huun kisi ki aankh nam hai aur main huun vufur-e-shauq kam hai aur main huun mujhe hai daulat-e-kaunain haasil mire rab kaa karam hai aur main huun main apne aap ko pahchaantaa huun miraa apnaa bharam hai aur main huun yahi kyaa kam hai duniyaa-e-vafaa mein mujhe ehsaas-e-gham hai aur main huun kisi ki yaad kaa ehsaan hai mujh par sukun-e-dil baham hai aur main huun mujhe 'mahmud' koi Dar nahin hai miraa apnaa qalam hai aur main huun"